Rock and roll dance evolved from the swing and Lindy Hop dance traditions, with exuberant lifts, jumps, and solo moves being central to the style. Before the twist and the mashed potato, couples partner danced together to the new sounds of rock and roll. Then as now, dancers in the rock and roll dance genre were known for the their extremely athletic moves. And, these dancers have some truly incredible steps going on.
Footage compiled by British Pathé from dance competitions with live music gives us a glimpse of this exciting time in music. Filmed in 1956, this is a wonderful look at dancing during a time between the swing era and the independent dancing of the ’60s. We loved getting down on the dance floor back in the day, but these dancers really take the cake!
And, for another wonderful dance from the era click here.
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